Abstract
In the quest to promote bamboo agroforestry in the dry semi-deciduous forest zone of Ghana, we evaluated changes in soil properties, crop productivity and the economic potential of a bamboo-based intercropping system. The intercropping system was established from 3-months old sympodial bamboo (Bambusa balcooa) seedlings planted at a 5 m × 5 m spacing and intercropped with maize, cassava or cowpea. Separate monocropping fields for maize, cassava, cowpea and bamboo were set up adjacent to the intercropped field. In both the intercropping and monocropping fields, plots were with fertilizer treatments and without. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with four replicates and studied over three years. Economic analysis was conducted using the financial benefit–cost ratio method. The results showed that regardless of fertilizer treatments, bamboo agroforestry and monocropped fields had comparable effects on soil properties and crop productivity within two years of establishment. In the third year, however, bamboo agroforestry had significantly (p < 0.05) higher soil moisture, pH and crop productivity levels. An intercropping advantage over monocropping was evident for all crops with respective partial land equivalent ratios for fertilized and non-fertilized intercropped systems as follows: cowpea (1.37 and 1.54), maize (1.38 and 1.36), and cassava (1.12 and 1.19). The economic evaluation also indicated marginal profitability of bamboo intercropping over monocropping systems. From the results obtained, there are clear indications that where bamboo is a prioritized woody perennial, integrated systems with crops may be encouraged.
Highlights
In Africa, forests provide important ecosystem services that support the environment and livelihoods
The potassium content in bamboo litter has been reported to be crucial in bamboo agroforestry systems as it acts as a soil amendment catalyst (Ahmad et al 2007)
Our current study showed a relatively low bamboo leaf litter quality, the leaf litter may have served as mulch, providing moisture conditioning effect which is crucial for agricultural crop growth as it serves as a catalyst for other soil chemical dynamics as reported by Gogoi and Bhuyan (2016)
Summary
In Africa, forests provide important ecosystem services that support the environment and livelihoods. Wood fuels are used by about one-third of the world’s population (FAO 2017) with future consumption projected to upsurge to 544.8 million m3 for firewood and 46.1 million tonnes for charcoal by 2030 in Africa (Arnold et al 2003). Detrimental impacts of such increasing demand and consumption of wood fuels on the ecological integrity of forests is inevitable
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